May 23, 2023
San José City Council
City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara Street
San José CA 95113
Comments for Item 8.1 File 23-748 – Update on the Future of San Pedro Street Dear Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Kamei and Councilmembers:
We submit this letter in continued support of the pedestrianization of San Pedro Street in Downtown San José. Enabling outdoor operations along San Pedro Street as part of the Al Fresco initiative allowed for an expansion of outdoor public life in the center of the city that has become a popular destination for residents and visitors alike.
While we appreciate the work to engage local business owners, evaluate options, and present a concept for the permanent closure of the street, we would also like to express questions and concerns about the nearly $10 million proposed concept to fully formalize a pedestrianized street that has been closed to cars for the past three years. Instead, the City of San José should consider new ways to innovate, collaborate, and remove barriers to the creation of high-quality public spaces that uplift the entire community.
The City of San Diego has enshrined the creation of Promenades as an integral component of its “Spaces as Places” program that grew out of their pandemic-era outdoor dining initiative. The creation of San Diego’s Promenades are envisioned to be community-driven places that are functional and inviting to all. San Diego’s promenades were presented as an opportunity for1 incremental interventions within neighborhoods. While San Pedro Street has already established itself as an anchor for the City and our Downtown, San José should take this opportunity to set a precedent of e
fficiently and effectively creating a public amenity, and preserving the central spaces for dining and social gathering given this project’ s overwhelming community support. 1 For more information about San Diego’s Spaces as Places, review the city’s manual for the transition of temporary spaces from an emergency response to a permanent program with established design and safety standards here:
https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/spaces-as-places-design-manual.pdf Promenades begin on page 42.